ROCHIOLI | ESTATE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2016

(Russian River Valley, California) $32 (750ml)

very time I drink this wonderful limey sauvignon from Rochioli, I think about the old admonition to writers to address the “w, w, w, w, how” of a story. Indeed the wine is a story itself—one of old vines, mouthfilling flavors, minerality and a kind of elegance that escapes most sauvignon blancs. It isn’t spring without a great sauvignon. This is waiting for you. (14.5% abv)

92 points KM

Available at Rochioli

White Burgundy is almost always associated with chardonnay but there are a few exceptions. Find the two exceptions among the following:

  • A. Bouzeron
  • B. Saint-Véran
  • C. Montagny
  • D. Saint-Bris

Scroll down for the answer!

WHITE DISCRIMINATION?

Do critics rate white wines less highly than red wines regardless of price, vintage and region? Maybe critics think white wines are inherently less complex than reds (which could then account for score disparity). What’s up with scores when it comes to white wines versus red wines anyway? In a fascinating new study, journalist Jeff Siegel and data scientist Suneal Chaudhary reviewed major wine periodicals and analyzed almost 62,000 wine scores dating back to the 1970s. Their work, published in Meininger’s Wine Business International revealed that critics do seem to favor red wines over white. Among their findings: Red wines are 20 percent more likely than white wines to be rated over 90 points. You can read the whole intriguing study here.

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“As surprising as it may seem, wines are like fabrics with multiple and diverse physical aspects that may be pleasant or horrifying. There are smooth wines and rough wines, supple wines and stiff wines, harsh wines and velvety wines. As with fabrics, these impressions stem from their physical constitution.”

Pierre Poupon, French wine writer, in his book Plaisirs de la Dégustation

MAZEDAR

The Urdu word mazedar is used to describe the idea of wanting to experience something over and over again. The word is often applied to food and is said to describe the magical essence of a food’s flavor. Often, the (insufficient) one-word translation is: yummy. The idea of a flavor being so gravitational that you want to experience it again and again is a concept that anyone who has tasted a great wine immediately understands. So thank you, Urdu. (Urdu, by the way, is a form of Hindustani and is the language of Pakistan).

THE NEW 4-LETTER WORD: RIPE

The wine industry’s new four letter word is ripe. Listen to any vintner or winemaker talk about their style of wine, and no matter what that style actually is, the resulting wine is said to be the result of grapes picked when they were ripe. The four letter word is now…Continue Reading

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A & D.Bouzeron in Côte Chalonnaise is the only village appellation that produces wines from the aligoté grape and Saint-Bris, located a few miles southwest of the Chablis region, is the only sauvignon blanc appellation in Burgundy. Montagny in the Côte Chalonnaise and Saint-Véran in the Macônnais are made from chardonnay.

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